Laughing My Way Through Ecuador

Alright, so I haven't had a chance to write about how my feelings have changed over time about Ecuador. I feel like I owe an apology to the country for not making amends. So, here goes. Once upon a time Becky and Natausha came to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The first 2 1/2 weeks were all fun and games and they felt like tourists and everything was new and crazy and exciting. Then they realized they weren't tourists, but they actually lived there. Then came the month of October when they hated life and wanted nothing more than to get on the next plane back to the states. It was hard living in Guayaquil, it was dirty, hot, and dangerous. Then they both had an emotional breakdown and self pity party on the same day. The next day, they left for Cuenca to get away and take a vacation to stay sane.
Something happened in Cuenca. For me, I found purpose in being in Ecuador. I wrote down all the things that I have learned and personal progress that I've made and realized a lot of good had come from my stay in Ecuador. I confronted my problem of being unhappy and made a conscious decision to change it and prayed for help. Well, Becky and I worked together and we started out just deciding to laugh about everything that bothers us. To make fun of it. So, we began making fun of everything rather than letting it get to us. We apparently laughed about life in Ecuador enough that it took root. Because now we aren't laughing to cover up the fact that we're annoyed. We genuinely laugh. At everything. And we actually like Guayaquil. It doesn't look ugly like it used too. We even though the river looked kind of blue today. I don't want to throw stones at men anymore. Well at least most of the time I don't. And I'm understanding the people and culture more than before. And tonight, I noticed that once again everything fascinates me. It's great. Yeah, we still place our hand over our heart when we pass the airport, but we're enjoying ourselves all the same. I might actually miss this place. I'm growing fond of it. It's been unbelievably fun to laugh almost constantly together, life is good. Ecuador is good. It sure has its problems but somehow I see positive things now. I've adjusted. And I'm excited for all of the memories to make over the next 4 weeks.